


the universe waits for no one

by pourpl



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: BUT ITS CUTE AT TIMES, M/M, NB Pidge, Theme Park AU, Well - Freeform, a bit of klangst, but does he know he's pining?, cheesy af, crack plot kinda, everyone knows, general pronouns for pidge, i dont know im sorry it sucks, i tried to write in the style of a voltron episode despite the cursing i guess?, idk - Freeform, its confusing, its stupid okay just read it, keith and lance dont rlly, keith is afraid of roller coasters, klance, lance is cute and helps him, lance pov, my writing is so inconsistent, not rlly, pining lance, quotes from the show, roller coaster au, terribly written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 11:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13247712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pourpl/pseuds/pourpl
Summary: “I’m trying to distract myself from the probability of my eminent death when this ride shoots off.” Keith grunted. They were pulling into a dock that would launch them from 0 to 100 miles per dobosh in half a tick.“I thought you said you weren’t scared.” Lance taunted, raising his eyebrows.“I never said that! I just—”“Hate to miss?” Lance finished.“Hate to miss La--.” Pidge purred before Hunk cut them off by an elbow to the ribcage.Keith shrugged them off, tightening his grip around his own shoulders, still housed by Lance’s jacket. “I hate you. I hate you all for making me do this.”“Hey,” Pidge said innocently. “No one forced you to do anything.”“Yes, as I recalled you were very eager to join us, Keith.” Lance poked with an air of lightness based on Keith’s aptitude to resort to acute animosity when he was scared. And Lance didn’t want to meddle with that right now, judging by the way Keith tensed at his side, stiff with coarsed breath.But Lance did tend to ask for it—even when he didn’t necessarily mean to, and Keith turned to glare at him. “Listen, Lance..."(Or, Team Voltron goes to an amusement park)





	the universe waits for no one

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is lame and cliché but please don't take it too seriously it's just kinda cute and silly and then at the end I got really wordy and emotional this fic has been my coping mechanism for the past couple weeks and it's rushed and lame but JUST READ IT OKAY i love u all thanks thanks thanks 
> 
> twitter: scauitrite   
> tumblr: teladuv

“...well, while we’re here we might as well go!”   
  
“Go where?” Lance said, stretching as he paced into the control deck where his other teammates were standing around Allura’s podium.    
  
“Look who’s finally awake. We’ve been waiting fo--” Keith began, tone mildly hostile.    
  
“What, did you miss me?” Lance teased, sticking his tongue out at him. Keith rolled his eyes and looked away.    
  
“To the Frubian Park.” Shiro explained, side-eyeing Lance.    
  
“Oooo. Sounds cool! But, it probably isn’t.”    
  
“Actually, it’s a internally-shielded galactic recreational facility in this sector. We were close so we thought....” Pidge corrected, fixing their glasses.    
  
Lance processed the words before his eyes lit up. “So...a domed space carnival? Like real alien-amusement??”    
  
Pidge rolled their eyes. Hunk nodded enthusiastically.    
  
“Stop getting your hopes up.” Allura hissed at his giddy demeanor. “We’re not going.”    
  
“Whyyyyyyy nooooooooot?” Lance’s voice came out in a whine that strung his syllables together in a continuous bleat of protest, lips forming into a pout.   
  
“We have no time!” Allura shouted, making everyone flinch. “We’re in the midst of a war, we can’t spend a day goofing off riding rides and eating junk food!”    
  
“Junk food?! Like, real, greasy, fried carnival junk food?” Lance’s ears perked and mouth practically began watering.    
  
“Oh man, we have to go.” Hunk grinned.    
  
Allura’s eyes shot back and forth between the two ecstatic children in front of her, then she turned to her right desperately. “Shiro, back me up here!”    
  
But Shiro didn’t look so stern, lips pursing. “I don’t know, Princess...We’ve been fighting really hard lately, and I think it might be nice to have a break.”    
  
“Come on, Princess! It will be the most fun! These kids deserve a little cheering up, the war can be so grim.“ Coran jumped in, eyes gleaming.    
  
“I’m with Allura, Shiro. What if something happens while we’re off playing like toddlers? The universe is in our hands and we can’t afford to let anyone down because we’re messing around all day!!” Keith sneered.    
  
“Exactly. I said no, and that’s final.”    
  
“Oh, come on!! No fun allowed!” Lance gripped.    
  
“No fun allowed!” Hunk echoed.    
  
“No fun allowed! No fun allowed!” They both chanted mockingly.    
  
“Alright Cadets. You heard the princess. Knock it off.”    
  
But they chorused over him, mouths rising into devious smiles.    
  
“Stop chanting. We let you have plenty of fun.”    
  
Still, they would not subside their shouts of protest, prepared to push to the breaking point.    
  
“Enough! We’re not going!”    
  
That shut them up for the moment, until Lance stepped forward. “But Shiro, the one who said—“    
  
“Well, I changed my mind. It’s too dangerous right now. Pidge needs to work on those algorithms, Hunk needs to fix the control board, and you and Keith need to k—“    
  
“Alright. We’ll go.”    
  
Everyone’s heads turned to Allura who stood in defeated resign.    
  
“What, Princess?” Coran asked, voice perking.    
  
“We should go. We deserve a break. We all do.” Then she added, “With your permission, Shiro, o-of course.”   
  
“I don’t—“    
  
“Please, Shiro?” Lance interrupted, hands clasped under his chin with wide, soapy eyes. “The war has been so hard on us, and we haven’t eaten real junk food in so long!”    
  
Hunk joined Lance at his side, mirroring his puppy dog gaze and pleads.    
  
“Oh, come on, Shiro. Are you seriously going to give into that?” Keith scoffed, gesturing to the begging paladins.    
  
“Oh, come  _ on _ , Shiro.” Lance mocked. “The universe can wait for  _ one day. _ ”    
  
“The universe waits for  _ no one _ , Lance.” Keith barked, pressing his forehead to Lance’s. Lance could feel his hot breath on his own lips, curling them into a smirk. Keith flushed and pulled away.    
  
“Alright paladins, cool it. We’re going.”    
  
“What?” Keith reeled, pivoting to Shiro.    
  
“Then it’s settled! To the Frubian Park!” Coran exclaimed, instantly punching the landing coordinates into the dashboard. Lance and Hunk squealed and high-fived, dancing around the deck.   
  
Keith began sputtering. “H-how do you even know it’ll still be there? When’s the last time you saw it? 10,000 years ago? It could be completel—“     
  
“There it is!” Allura’s face sparked like a Christmas tree, despite her original qualms. She pointed to a humongous hovering structure off to the left of the castle. It was clear with rounded edges and practically the size of a planet, filled with acres and acres of rides and tents and things that looked straight from Earth. Hunk and Lance sped to the window, pressing their faces to the glass in awe. It was the most beautiful, poignant, nostalgic thing they’d ever seen.    
  
“Are you kidding me? This is really happening?” Keith said in utter disbelief.    
  
“Don’t worry Keith, you don’t have to leave the Castleship if you don’t want to. I’m sure Pidge will stay behind and work on their algorithms if you would rath—“    
  
“That’s okay, Princess. Keith is going to come along.” Shiro said evenly.   
  
“What?!” Keith shrieked this time. Lance turned back around, maliciously grinning.   
  
“You heard me.”    
  
“You heard him!” Lance repeated defiantly.    
  
“It’ll be good for you. You need to relax and have some fun, Keith. You’re too uptight.”    
  
“You’re  _ uptight _ , Keith.” Lance pranced to Keith’s side, playfully shoving his shoulder. Keith gritted his teeth and held his integrity. The ship began to dock near the Park.    
  
“And I know you’ve never been to an amusement park before.” Shiro called.    
  
“And you’ve  _ never _ been to—Wait.” Lance stopped himself. “You’ve never been to an amusement park?”    
  
Keith opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Lance grabbing his hand impetuously and yanking him towards the exit of the castle. “Ohhhh Keith, this is going to be the best day EVER. You are going to have so much fun; you have no idea!”    
  
“Lance, I didn’t agree to this!”  But Lance never relented, now painfully aware of the feeling of Keith’s callused palm pressed loosely against his.    
  
Hunk caught up to them as Shiro called out a “Have fun!” and Allura a “We’ll catch up with you later!” before Pidge’s impudent “I wont.”    
  
Lance busted out the door of the castle with Keith dragging behind him and Hunk by his side, wide eyes all cast on the gargantuan sights before them. There were dozens of roller-coaster-looking contraptions, each sprinkled with dazzling lights and splotches of color strikingly juxtaposed with the blackness of the galactical sky that hung above them, visible through the clear dome.    
  
“It doesn’t smell like how I remember a carnival smelling like.” Hunk noted.    
  
Lance nodded, the scent that pricked his nose matching closer with burning tree-bark than funnel cake, but for the first time in awhile, he felt genuinely excited.    
  
They walked up to the entrance booth in silence with awe. “Can I help you?” asked the clerk, a small alien with orange skin and blue pupils.    
  
“Three admission tickets, please.” Lance smiled easily, leaning on the side of the booth.    
  
“That’ll be 250 GAC.”    
  
Lance’s eyes flashed open, sitting up abruptly. Hunk’s jaw dropped. “250 GAC?”    
  
“Is there a problem?” The clerk replied flatly.   
  
“The thing is,” Lance started, dropping his eyelids and giving his best charming-negotiator voice. “We don’t have any money...”    
  
“No admission, then.”    
  
“But—!” Lance fizzed.    
  
“Welp, we tried!” Keith sighed in feigned abjected. “I guess we’ll just have to go back and---”   
  
“Make that 4 tickets.” Pidge appeared out of nowhere from behind, slapping their hand on the table with a wad of GAC.    
  
“Pidge!” Hunk cried, picking them up in his arms with elated compassion. “You came!”    
  
“What? You guys need another rider to make it even!”  Pidge said innocently, brushing him off. “Plus, I can code any day...how often do I get to see you pretty pansies lose your minds over kiddy rides!”    
  
“I still can’t believe you made it.” Lance chuckled, shaking his head.    
  
“And I can’t believe you forgot money...” They shot back, rolling their eyes.    
  
“Here’s your tickets. Have fun.” The clerk handed them thin silver sheets that gleamed in the blinking lights of the park.    
  
“Thank you!” Hunk said earnestly before running through the entrance like a little kid, the others trailing not far behind.    
  
Pidge turned to Keith and Lance. “You do realize you two are still holding hands, right?”    
  
Lance looked down to find his palm resting comfortably in Keith’s and immediately jerked it away, face heating up rapidly. Pidge shared a look with Hunk, both of them snickering. Keith began walking a little faster.   
  
—    
  
“Where should we go first?” Hunk chirped, unable to contain his excitement.    
  
“Definitely that one.” Pidge grinned, pointing to a menacing blue coaster off to their right, height towering at least 400 feet in the air.    
  
“Really? The biggest one first?” Lance asked with suspicion.     
  
“What do  _ you _ wanna ride first? The  _ carousel _ ? Go big or go home!” Pidge nudged. “Race ya, Hunk!”    
  
“I’m gonna throw up, and I’m gonna love it!” Hunk squealed, and then they were off.    
  
“That’s all right, you guys can go ahead.” Keith said to no one in particular.    
  
“Oh, no you don’t!” Lance objected. “You can’t come to the Frubian Park and not go on rides! It’s blasphemous! I won’t allow it!”    
  
“It’s really fine, Lance. You guys go ahead.”    
  
Lance studied his face, indigo eyes darting up to the coaster behind them. His hands were shakily fingering the knife in his belt, his foot tapping impatiently on the pavement.    
  
“Wait,” Lance paused. “Are you scared?”    
  
“What?“ But Keith stopped himself, wide eyes dropping their defensiveness into submission, looking away from Lance. “Yeah. I am. Go ahead and laugh at me.”    
  
But Lance’s expression remained stoic, hand finding its subconscious way to Keith’s shoulder. “I’m not going to laugh at you. I’m just surprised.”    
  
Keith looked up and locked eyes with him, eyes that read alarm but mouth reading contentment. “What?”    
  
Lance cleared his throat and dragged his gaze away from him, words insisting to cover his feelings with amiable harassment. Typical. “Tough guy like you? You fight intergalactic battles against genocidical purple demons daily and you’re afraid of a measly roller coaster?”    
  
“Genocidical isn’t a word.”    
  
“ _ Whatever _ , dropout.”    
  
Keith glared, but ignored him. “At least in my  _ lion, _ I’m in control. In a roller coaster you’re being pulled and moved without your consent which takes, like, half the fun out of flying.”    
  
“But it feels like you’re flying! And these tracks are  _ so _ safe, there’s no chance anything will happen. Roller coasters run thousands of times a day and people barely ever get hurt.”    
  
“Maybe  _ Earth _ coasters are safe, but we don’t know anything about these. And none of them have been running, because there’s no one here! Maybe that should tell us something about the safety of them.” Keith gestured ambiguously to the empty park, which Lance was just noticing. The lights glimmered, creating an illusion of movement, but really, the park was a ghost town.    
  
“Oh, come on Keith! Why am I trying to convince you to take a risk? Oh how the turn-tables.”    
  
“It’s ‘Oh how the tables have turn—‘“    
  
“Bah bah bah!” Lance cut Keith off with his hand flapping in Keith’s face. “I don’t care. Just ride this one coaster, buddy.”    
  
“No.”    
  
“Keiiithhhhh!” Lance whined, whipping out the puppy dog eyes again. “If you hate it, you can slap me across the face.”    
  
“Tempting, but no.”    
  
“Keeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiithhhhhhhh!”    
  
“Lance, I said—“    
  
“Please? For me?”    
  
Keith’s eyes softened then, and Lance could have sworn he saw a hint of complacency flash over his face. “Fine.”    
  
Lance squeaked in delight, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around Keith’s torso.    
  
“C’mon lovebirds, we don’t have all day!” Pidge shouted from the loading dock of the coaster. They were sitting with Hunk in the front row, already buckled in. Lance looked up at the drop and knew Keith was doing the same by the way he swallowed protest like gravel in his throat before following Lance to the station.    
  
“Halt!” The operator demanded, striking an arm out in front of Keith as he tried to walk up the steps to the loading area. Alarms blared in Lance’s mind—worried that he was working for the Galra, worried that he recognized them as paladins of Voltron. “No weapons on-ride.”    
Lance released his breath and Hunk let out a “phew”.    
  
Keith looked down at his Blade of Marmora knife in his belt. “But—!”    
  
“No weapons on-ride.” The operator said sternly, expression unaltered.    
  
“Just take it off, Keith.” Lance reached around Keith’s waist and undid the belt seamlessly, not before brushing an accidental fingertip against the smooth flesh of Keith’s stomach. He ignore the quiver of Keith’s skin under the touch.    
  
Keith grumbled as he pushed into the seat next to Lance and behind Hunk, something about Lance being an asshole and missing his blade.    
  
“Oh, boo hoo! You’ll see Mr. Knifey Knife in a few minutes.”    
  
“Fifty-two seconds.” The operator recited mechanically while strapping them in.    
  
“You hear that Keith? The ride’s only _ fifty-two seconds _ ! You can’t even kill a sentry that quickly.”    
  
But Keith didn’t answer, and Lance looked over to find him clutching the lap bar for dear life, knuckles akin to the color of fresh snow with the grip.    
  
“Keith.”    
  
But he didn’t answer. “Keith!”    
  
Still, he wouldn’t look up at Lance so he grabbed the side of Keith’s face and pulled it towards him. “You’re gonna be okay. I promise.”    
  
For a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning as Keith’s gaze muted into something inexplicably gentle and Lance wanted nothing more than to drag his knuckle down Keith’s jaw and soothe him.    
  
But the ride started and the moment passed, Keith jerking away.    
  
“WoooooHooo!” Pidge called out as the ride began to ascend up the hill. Their arms flew in the air along with Hunk’s.    
  
“Fuck you.” Keith spat at Lance. “I can’t believe you made me do this.”    
  
Lance laughed, patting Keith’s stiff back. “You’re gonna love it!”   
  
“How do you know that?!” Keith sputtered, now peering over the edge of the cart as it climbed up the hill at a painstakingly-slow pace.    
  
“Shut up and trust me.” Lance smiled. Keith looked at him for a moment with a minorly indignant stare before setting his jaw and turning to face front.    
  
“And stop gripping the bar so hard, you’re going to cut off your circulation and pass out.”   
  
Keith released his grasp with obstinance and settled on clasping his hands together in his lap, left leg shaking like a madman.    
  
“Stop that,” Lance insisted, placing his hand on Keith’s thigh. It immediately stopped moving. Keith jolted away, persisting in the bouncing of his leg.    
  
“I’m tense! Let me be stressed out!”    
  
“I’m telling you; nothing bad is going to happen! We’re all going to be f—“    
  
“Will you two cut it out? I can’t enjoy this with your pussy asses whining in my ear!” Pidge snapped, pivoting their head to shoot them a jocular glare.    
  
“I’m not a puss—!” But Lance cut himself off when he realized they were almost at the top. “Look!”    
  
Lance tapped Keith’s shoulder and pointed to the stars above them, trying to distract him. They twinkled like stars were supposed to and weren’t much different than anything they had been seeing for months in space, but there was something about them that left all the paladins speechless. Maybe it was the fact that they were exposed without their suits or helmets yet it felt like they were floating in space, blinded by the illusion of the clear dome that bounded above their heads. Maybe it was the silence that wafted through the air, making each individual’s chest ache with a sense of dull loneliness. Or maybe it was just the reminder that they weren’t on Earth. Because as much as it felt like it in that moment, they were far from it. They remained millions of miles away, and even the stars felt wrong.   
  
Lance’s plan worked however, because it seemed as though Keith didn’t realize they were teetering on the edge of the drop until his body was lurched forward and they began diving downwards.    
  
Air currents began tunneling around them, sending Lance’s cheeks fluttering in the artificial wind and arms careening out behind him. He opened his mouth to hoot in joy as tears flooded his vision, stomach climbing into his throat. This drop was insane.    
  
“This drop is insane!” Pidge read Lance’s thoughts, voice barely edging with fear unlike Keith who was screaming an incessant “FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK” as they shot down at 90 degrees.    
  
But just before they could reach the catch of the drop, something fabricated into sight. Lance blinked away his tears to reveal a swirling purple mass, emitting flashes of white energy.    
  
“Is that a...” Lance gulped out.    
  
“WORMHOLE??!!!” Hunk finished, screams of joy morphing into that of genuine terror.    
  
“HOLY SHIT!” Keith screeched as they plummeted closer towards the flashing pit. Lance suddenly regretted forcing him on this. This is how they would all die. Death by fun. A true euthanasia. Lance closed his eyes as his gut caught in his neck and the wind became too powerful. 

  
He heard the ear splitting tone of the wormhole closing around him encompassed in the shrieks of his fellow paladins and a voice that reminded him of himself but much more terrified than he ever remembered hearing come out of his mouth. He braced for the wormhole to release into space, the lack of oxygen suffocating him if a Galra ship didn’t gouge through his intestines with lasers first.    
  
But nothing happened, and the color under Lance’s eyelids returned to normal. He opened his eyes as he heard a laugh. They were at the top of the drop again, teetering over the edge, in the same place as they were a few seconds before. Pidge was laughing.    
  
“What the fuck?!” Keith said, voice excessively hostile.    
  
Hunk was still screaming with closed eyes, before choking out a “WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING PIDGE????!!” in between cries of terror.    
  
“Open your eyes, Hunk!” Pidge giggled. He obeyed and let out a grunt of confusion before the ride shot forward again, pulling them down the exorbitant drop. They all resumed their caterwauling except for Pidge who was still letting out boisterous laughter. Only the wormhole never opened again, and the ride continued, catching them at the bottom and then sending them skyrocketing into loops and sharp twists, all committing at speeds too quick to comprehend before the cart slowed and pulled smoothly into the loading dock.    
  
Lance now became hyper-aware of his limbs that were tangled in Keith’s, both hands clutching at each others clothing for dear life.    
  
“Sorry...” Keith muttered, releasing a taught grip from the hem of Lance’s shirt.    
  
“‘S Fine,” Lance chuckled, detaching his arms from around Keith’s torso.    
  
“I don’t know what just happened, but that was  _ incredible _ .” Pidge chirped in front as the operator began unbuckling the belts. “Hey, you! How the heck do you power wormholes without Alteans?” 

 

The operator, looked up with hazy eyes barely hesitating before reeling off a “This sector was a constant endpoint for wormholes 10,000 years ago. Altean workers built the teludav for the ride back then, and their residual energy remains.” 

 

“Strange.” Pidge calculated, their eyes glazing over as the wheels churned in their brain, mulling over the information. “But how do you—?” 

 

“If you have more questions about the functional history of Frubian Park you can stop at Information in the left quadrant.” The operator said in the dullest contemptment Lance had ever heard as they finished releasing the last restraints and peeled off to the operative booth.

 

“Sheesh. Workers here are sure stingy for the amount of business they have to deal with. Which is like, none.” Pidge murmured as they exited the ride. 

 

“Look!” Hunk cried, pointing up at the dock they had just came out from. The rest of the paladins turned to see where he was pointing, which was a sign clearly announcing the name of the ride:  _ The Wormhole. _

 

_ “ _ Well that would make sense,” Pidge smirked. 

 

“I wish we would have seen that before.” Keith groaned, clearly still in shock. 

 

Just then, Shiro, Coran and Allura walked up to them.

 

“Oh wow!  _ The Wormhole _ is still here!” Coran piped. “Did you ride it?” 

 

Hunk nodded, looking a tinge of green. 

 

“I’m assuming by the way Keith is shaking, he did too.” Allura giggled, motioning to Keith who stood next to Lance practically vibrating. 

 

“Keith! That’s awesome. I’m proud of you for facing your fears.” Shiro smiled. “It’s okay to be a little anxious afterward, Coran was telling me how an actual wormh—“ 

 

“I’m not shaking because I’m scared.” Keith growled. “I’m freezing.” 

 

Shiro frowned. “Why didn’t you bring your jacket?” 

 

“Well, I  _ would _ have had time to if Lance didn’t drag me out of the castle with no warning.” Keith turned to face Lance and seemed affably surprised when he came in contact with the brown jacket that sat in Lance’s outstretched hand. Keith raised an eyebrow.

 

“Take it.” 

 

“Your jacket?” Keith stuttered. “Aren’t you cold?” 

 

“Nah,” Lance waved him off. “I’m hyped-up on adrenaline. And besides, you’re going to need it if you’re staying behind.” 

 

Keith opened his mouth in protest and Lance awaited a response, but only earned the snatching of Lance’s jacket out of his hand. He begrudgingly pulled it onto his shoulders, shivering subsiding within seconds. 

 

“Oh, Keith! You look adorable!” Allura cooed, clapping her hands together. Lance peeked at Keith out of his peripheral, noting how the jacket almost swallowed him in comparison to the cropped one he always wore. Though, it complemented his coined black shirt well, and was innately paradisiacal on him. He did look adorable, not that Lance would admit it. Keith glanced at Lance too, before pulling his eyes away to settle his hands in Lance’s pockets. 

 

“Alright, well, we’ll catch up with you guys later. I think we’re going to do the red one next.” Pidge hummed, as they began separating from the group. 

 

“How about we meet in a dobosh or so?” Shiro planned. 

 

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Pidge dismissed, and then Hunk, Lance and them set off. 

 

They had barely made it four steps before Keith came running up behind them. “Wait for me!” 

 

They all pivoted in surprise. “You’re coming?” Hunk asked in bewilderment. 

 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” 

 

“O-oh sorry, Keith.” Lance said, scratching the back of his neck. “I just assumed since you didn’t like the last one that--”

 

“Who said I didn’t like it? It was fun. And who am I to back down from an adventure?” 

 

“Okay, Mr. Excitable,” Hunk smiled. “Who are you and what have you done with Keith?” 

 

Keith grinned and moved next to Lance who scoffed in astonishment, shaking his head at this new side of Keith. He seemed optimistic. Buoyant.  _ Happy _ . It was weird, but Lance decided that he liked it. 

 

\--

 

“Excuse me, why is there no one else here?” Pidge asked to this operator as they were strapping them in. 

 

The operator looked up, studying the paladins with reasonable prudence before parting their purple lips. “Ever since the Galra took over this sector, people don’t really have time for amusement parks. Either the life is sucked out of their planet, or they’re slaves privy to the precedent of the Galra.” 

 

They all sat in silence for a second, the heaviness of that statement hitting them like a ton of bricks to the skull. 

 

“Well, how do you stay in business then?” Keith questioned, giving a dejected look to Lance next to him. 

 

“The Galra fund our enterprise.” The paladins all grew wide-eyed. “If you haven’t noticed, they are excessively concerned with appearance. They are aware of the destruction and carnage  they bring to the universe, yet they revel in the ability to say they haven’t ruined everything. That’s why they keep malls, museums, parks...” 

 

“But you’re not Galra, right? How do they let non-Galra citizens operate these facilities?” Pidge questioned as the operator slid over to the control panel. 

 

“They used to have Galra working here but they all got bored from lack of patronage. So they gave their most compliant tributaries these jobs, the ones that no one else wanted.” They said. Lance nodded, feeling bad for them. Of course there were worse jobs, but the highest reward for being a respected subservient was a lousy carnival worker in a business drought? Lame. 

 

The ride started, and the paladins continued with their silence, each reflecting on the information they received. 

 

“Even when we’re trying to have fun, the war follows us.” Hunk voiced the feelings of the whole group aloud. 

 

“The war is everywhere. It affects everyone.” Keith murmured, eyes staring straight ahead. 

 

“Kids, could we lighten up a little?” Lance asked, gritting his teeth.

 

“I’m trying to distract myself from the probability of my eminent death when this ride shoots off.” Keith grunted. They were pulling into a dock that would launch them from 0 to 100 miles per dobosh in half a tick. 

 

“I thought you said you weren’t  _ scared _ .” Lance taunted, raising his eyebrows. 

 

“I never said that! I just—”

 

“Hate to miss?” Lance finished. 

 

“Hate to miss  _ La-- _ .” Pidge purred before Hunk cut them off by an elbow to the ribcage.  

 

Keith shrugged them off, tightening his grip around his own shoulders, still housed by Lance’s jacket. “I hate you. I hate you all for making me do this.” 

 

“Hey,” Pidge said innocently. “No one forced you to do anything.” 

 

“Yes, as I recalled you were very eager to join us,  _ Keith _ .” Lance poked with an air of lightness based on Keith’s aptitude to resort to acute animosity when he was scared. And Lance didn’t want to meddle with that right now, judging by the way Keith tensed at his side, stiff with coarsed breath. 

 

But Lance did tend to ask for it—even when he didn’t necessarily mean to, and Keith turned to glare at him. “Listen, Lan—“ 

 

Keith was cut off at the ride starting, catapulting them out of the dock and shooting up the side of the structure in front of them at speeds unfathomable. Keith had begun screeching in genuine terror. Lance’s brain almost didn’t realize what had happened until the cart reached the peak, stomach hollowing. He embraced the weightless feeling though, throwing his arms up in the air to catch the wind that weaved between his fingertips and let himself levitate for a second, chest brewing with ecstasy and satisfaction. 

 

It then came to his attention that silence wafted through the air, and he discovered that Keith’s screaming had ceased. The first viable incident to cause this was that he had been ejected from his seat, or passed out, or palpated until his heart exploded. Through the G forces that locked Lance’s body to his seat as they swirled in and out of cobra rolls, he managed to hinge his head to face Keith, who was fortunately still conscious and in his seat.

 

His face was twisted into something nondescript, eyebrows twitching and eyes fixated on Hunk’s head in front of him. His mouth was screwed tight much like the grip on the shoulder belt around him. But then his expression changed, muscles loosening and eyes softening into something else…something delighted. And then he began laughing. 

Keith Kogane actually laughed. 

It rose out of his diaphragm and bubbled to the surface in a crescendo from a chuckle to a giggle to a full on fit of exasperated joy. 

Lance decided that was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. 

“Are you laughing?!” He said barely over the vociferous wind, which to him stayed muted and insignificant under the utterly melodic pitches of Keith’s cachinnation. 

 

Keith jerked his head to Lance and shot a real, tangible, actual smile in Lance’s direction. Lance decided that his heart would most likely implode. 

“This is fun!” Keith boasted, body expelling tension. “I’m actually enjoying this!”

“Yeah!” Lance shouted, throwing his arms in the air again. 

“Yeah!” Keith cried, he too deciding to let go of his restraints. 

Lance began to hoot and call out like he did when he flew in his lion. Keith noted his exuberance and mirrored it, calling out his own whoops of rapture as the ride twisted and turned, starting timid but growing in intensity until both of the boys were hollering and yawping at ear-splitting decibels.

Finally, the ride pulled to a stop and Keith was sent grinning incessantly, pushing his bangs back between his fingers and choking out notes of disbelief at his own actions. 

“Oh man, Keith let loose!” Lance cheered, clapping the red paladin on his back possibly a little too hard. 

 

“Was I hearing things, or did Keith actually  _ laugh _ ?” Pidge whipped their head around. 

 

“Wait, Keith  _ laughed _ ? I’ve only heard that once—I thought it was a dream—wait Keith, you  _ laugh _ ?” Hunk guffawed. 

 

“Yes, I  _ laughed _ , is that so hard to believe?” Keith suddenly snapped. 

 

“Yep.” 

“There he is.” 

“That’s Keith.” 

 

Keith groaned.

 

They shuffled off the ride and thanked the worker, Pidge denying that they slipped them a GAC or two for their toil and perseverance. 

 

Before they could make their way to the next ride, Keith gasped and began patting his sides anxiously. The others stared in confusion. “Where is my belt?!” He looked up. “Ah, shit! I left it at The Wormhole in the trays!” 

 

“Have you seriously not noticed Lance wearing it?” Pidge blinked. Keith’s eyes shot down to Lance’s waist where his belt and holsters hung lazily and then back up to Lance’s shit-eating grin and gleaming eyes. Keith reached his arm to snatch back the belt but Lance dodged his grip. 

 

“Ah ah ah! You get to wear my jacket, I get to wear the belt.” Lance said in a singsong voice. Keith looked down at the jacket encasing him as if he forgot it was there. He opened his mouth in protest, but only to close it and slump his shoulders, shoving his fists in the pockets in begrudged taciturnity.

 

They set off with Lance’s devious grin plastered on his face, shoving Keith playfully in the shoulder. “You’re welcome for grabbing it.” 

 

Keith turned to Lance with narrowed eyes that soon faded into felicity. Lance thought that he could actually see the walls that Keith interminably built up begin to crack as he turned and shoved him back. They both smiled to themselves, committing to a match of jocular nudging of shoulders.

 

— 

 

The paladins continued on, riding every coaster they could get to, meeting up with the Coran, Shiro, and Allura for a few before racing off to ride the next one. The turns were gut-wrenching, the drops at drastic angles, the velocity and behind the coasters acute with power that would never be found on Earth. The rides felt safe enough, but the intensity and zeal of each one inspired a new fervently pleasant terror in all of them. With every coaster they rode, Keith’s demeanor lightened—much to Lance’s satisfaction.  Not only did he show enthusiasm to riding even the most menacing of coasters, he would actually laugh at Lance’s jokes. Even the particularly lame ones, which tended to show themselves once he figured Keith would laugh at anything. His laugh was addicting to Lance’s ears, and the fissures being formed in Keith’s walls became more and more prominent as the day dragged on. 

 

“Alright, that’s it—that’s the last one I can stomach.” Hunk had gurgled as they stumbled off another coaster—this one shooting them straight up in the air, only to plummet in a spiraling fashion straight back down. 

 

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t even that bad!” Keith whined, visibly more sharp and energetic than the rest. 

 

“Hunk’s headband flew off his face and smacked you in the nose at like, 100 doboshes an hour,” Pidge noted.

 

“And I loved it,” Keith countered, fidgeting excitedly with the strings of Lance’s hoodie. 

 

“Of course you did, you could actually see for once! You really do need a headband.” Lance cackled. Keith giggled. Lance swooned. 

 

Pidge and Hunk stared at them with bewilderment before Pidge caught themselves and sputtered out a “Regardless, we’re not going on any more rides, not until my head stops spinning.” 

 

“ _ Any _ rides?” Keith lamented. “What about drop rides, like that one? Or the swings? Or those turn-y things...what are they called? Tilt-a-whirls! Or the log fl—“ 

 

“No, Keith. We’re done.” Hunk stated. 

 

“Lance?” Keith pouted, turning to Lance. He tried not to focus on the eyes Keith was giving him and turned away, feeling like he was about to kick a puppy. 

 

“Sorry, Keith. My head is pounding.” Lance said reluctantly, giving into his aches. But another option popped into his mind, an incentive. “How about we play some carnival games instead?” 

 

Keith’s brow furrowed. “Carnival games?” 

 

“Like, little challenges against your friends to win stuffed animals and shit. You know, that they have at carnivals.” 

 

Keith softened, peering around to see what Lance had been gesturing to. His eyebrow raised. “Always eager to compete with me, aren’t you?” 

 

“It isn’t competing if there’s only one player!” Lance shot back. 

 

“You’re right—it’s me!” Keith stabbed as they took off running towards the closest booth, cackling like maniacs.

 

Hunk and Pidge were unimpressed, but followed them anyway. 

 

The tent was decorated with turquoise stripes that seemed lazily painted on, decrepit and shabby looking, flailing around as unmanned coaster carts rushed by. But inside was a lively carnival worker with similar markings as some of the previous operators, save a few structural differences. They were quite lovely, in a charismatically charming way. 

Lance and Keith had already strung up conversation, sitting down at the stools in front of the booth. 

 

“Usually we charge 3 GAC a round, but seeing as you don’t have many players and you are just some tourist kids—no charge.” The worker smiled in a slightly less sophisticated accent than the previous. 

 

“Really? Wow. Thank you very much!” Lance beamed, adjusting himself on the chair to face the controls more easily. He put his game face on as Pidge and Hunk sat down. 

 

“The rules are simple.” The worker instructed. “The red arrows determine the trajectory, and the black button shoots. Your objective is to get as much phoe into the blue hole as possible. The first one to fill their tube wins.” 

 

The paladins all nodded, making a silent agreement to pretend like they knew exactly what phoe was. It seemed similar to the classic point-and-shoot carnival game, with a slight edge.

 

The worker stepped to the side, gesturing for the paladins to begin. They each chose different strategies immediately—Hunk tentatively fidgeting with his control to get a feel for the mechanics, Pidge hitting their phoe-eject button and adjusting the trajectory accordingly, Keith who slammed his fist into the button in a constant stream of phoe, (which was now discovered to be a thick, ink-like substance), and Lance who used his impeccable aim to his advantage, dropping to his knees to get a better angle. 

 

In the end it was Keith who filled the tube the quickest, despite Lance shouting “GO GO GO GO GO GO!” at the top of his lungs. The light at the top of the tube beamed and music began playing, announcing Player 2 as the winner. Lance slammed his fist on the table in pure acrimony as Keith selected a purple bear-like stuffed animal from the winners shelf. 

 

“God, do you always have to beat me at  _ everything _ ?” Lance spewed, overdramatizing the situation as usual. 

 

Keith stared at Lance’s dejected expression, looked down at the bear, looked back at Lance, and then outstretched his arms. “Take it.” 

 

The bear hung in between them in silence as Lance fixated on it. “What?” 

 

“Take the bear.” 

 

“Wh--” 

 

“You’re a lot more concerned about winning than I am.” Keith choked out in pursued reasoning. “I don’t want it. I don’t like stuffed animals, really.” 

 

In a breath of indignance, Lance pulled the bear from Keith’s hand and into his chest, hugging it there. He felt like a kid. 

 

“Look who won a jopolin!” The paladins turned to find the others walking towards them, Coran’s hands clasped in front of his chest. “Aren’t they just the cutest?” 

 

“Lance didn’t win it, Keith won it  _ for _ him.” Pidge hummed from the side, the insinuation clear in their voice. 

 

“Aww,” Shiro cooed. Keith glared at him with a look that could cut steel.

 

“Are you guys hungry? Why don’t we walk around and get some food?” Allura suggested.

 

So they did, continuing down the tent-path they had begun. The stands were still churning out product despite the lack of customers, each one putrid with interesting scents. Some food resembled Earth carnival food, the others completely separate. They found the source of the tree-bark scented cuisine, a pungent dessert that Hunk immediately spit out. Another stand was chock full of exquisitely rounded mounds of bread, bland in smell but capricious in taste. The paladins were full within the hour, barely able to walk as they clenched their stomachs in bliss and agony. 

 

“I don’t think I can go on a roller coaster for the  _ rest of my life. _ ” Hunk whined, plopping down on a bench. “ _ I will always be too full _ .”

 

The others grunted in agreement, Pidge deciding to stretch out on the ground, gaze pointed up to the stars. 

 

“Would you guys be up for a ferris wheel ride before we go?” Shiro suggested, pointing over to the massive ride. 

 

“My stomach can handle that.” Lance concluded, rubbing his chin. 

 

“In a minute,” Pidge moaned, folding their arms over their stomach and rolling into a ball. 

 

“Come  _ on _ , Pidge, you can curl up in a fetal position on the ride. The park closes in a dobosh.” Hunk disclosed, pulling them off the ground to stand. 

 

They walked over in slow, staggered steps of satiated gluttony. The ferris wheel had seemed relatively normal, but as they got closer, Lance realized that it seemed only half-way constructed. The structure was a semi-circle instead of a full one, complete with triangle-shaped gondolas that hung off the curve idly, caked in tiny lights that glittered. It looked more like a iridescent modern art piece than a ferris wheel, but it seemed like a ride nonetheless. 

 

They all approached the structure in awe, studying the strange format of the ride as Shiro approached the worker who stood in an opulent booth to the side. 

 

“Is the...wheel functioning?” Shiro asked, hesitance in his voice. 

The worker looked up at him from whatever they were eating on top of their control panel and scanned the group over. “Yeah, it’s working.”

 

Their voice was low-pitched and distant as they lifted up their plate of some sort of meat and pressed a button. The paladins all gazed up in consternation as the curve began to rotate, bringing the twenty gondolas around in a circle that extended each arm outwards. It rode like a normal ferris wheel, only looking a little strange as there was always an empty space. 

 

“Sick,” Lance whispered, running up to the cart that stopped in the loading area. The attendant opened the gate for him as the rest of the crew joined his side. Lance placed one foot on the step and turned around, grinning. He was probably more excited than he should have been, but Allura was here now and there was a chance he could ride with her on the bizarre contraption and they could make out at the top like eight of his favorite rom-coms. He sat down and pat the spot next to him, wiggling his eyebrows. 

 

“Hey Allura, wanna go for a ride?” 

But she looked less than amused, as per usual, rolling her eyes with a downturned mouth as the rest of the group stared at him in deadpan.

In a quick motion and without much hesitance, she grabbed Keith’s shoulders next to her and pushed him into the gondola with Lance, promptly slamming the gate and trapping them in as the worker locked the cage. Lance leaped forward, grasping the bars and shaking them. 

 

“Hey! Allura!” His blood boiled in an inexplicable form of embarrassment and bewilderment as Pidge began hooting with laughter. Shiro folded his arms across his chest as his lips twitched into a smirk, Hunk tried to conceal a giggle, and Coran nudged an illustrious Allura. 

 

“Have fun you two!” Pidge beamed, waving flamboyantly as the ride shifted to accommodate the next cart of riders. 

 

“Great.” Keith said, voice cracking a bit as Lance shrunk into a corner of the gondola, willing himself not to make eye contact with the red paladin. This was the opposite of what he wanted, because being alone with Keith always made his forearms itch and his head pound and he hated it. As much fun as today had been, Keith was still his rival, and would always be despite how comfortable they may get as the team grew closer. Lance and Keith had always been neck and neck, and Lance would always despise Keith for constantly one-upping him. It was Keith’s fault, really, regardless of Hunk’s observation of the one-sidedness of their antagonism. Lance only dragged it out and picked fights and placed blame and forced arguments because Keith made him. There was no other option. So of course he didn’t want to be alone with him on the stupid ride, because Keith’s mere existence got under his skin. 

 

The ride shifted again as more of the group entered their gondolas in effervescent forms of laughter and chatter, unparalleled to the silence aching through their own cart. Lance let himself steal a singular glance in Keith’s direction to his right, and he found Keith to already be looking, quickly detaching his gaze from Lance’s when their eyes met. Lance sighed, and the ride started. 

 

They remained in silence as their cart swung lazily in soft, swift motion up the side of the structure, bringing them around to the top. It was a pleasant change of pace after all the intensely expeditious rides they had been on all day, and Lance relaxed into it, dropping his shoulders to lean his head back. He felt the tips of his hair dance in the wind that was fabricated through the gentle rocking of the cart, and his eyes fluttered shut. A calm rushed over him, and the tension that had ebbed seemed to dissipate a little bit, at least for Lance. He was glad that the ride was so tame based on the churning in his stomach as his food waded in his lower abdomen, weighing him down. The flickering lights of the wheel flashed under his lids through the darkness. Lance could tell that they were getting higher off the ground because of the absence of fluorescent glow based on the growing distance between the cart and the ground of the park. 

 

And then the ride stopped; Keith coughed, and Lance, who almost forgot he was there, began to itch. His eyes flashed open and he sat up, eyeing Keith subtly as his palms began to sweat. It was now too dark to see anything but a silhouetted shadow of a breathing figure, but Lance could tell he was looking too, and that made Lance angry. The sheer sight of him made him angry. He wiped his hands on his pants, allowed himself a scratch or two of his arms, and cast his stare over the edge of the gondola. 

 

“Uh, are we supposed to be stopped?” He asked generally, not exactly to Keith, but not exactly under his breath, either. 

 

“I don’t know,” Keith replied, voice quiet and unsure. Lance tried to catch sight of the operator to see if something was going on, but they had reached the peak of the ride’s height, and it was too high up and everything blurred together. He flopped back into his previous position, narrowing his eyes at Keith who sat with folded arms, foot tapping on the ground. “It’s probably nothing. Ferris wheels stop all the time.” 

 

“How would you know? You’ve never been to an amusement park.” Lance spat, voice coming out more hostile than he intended. 

 

Keith seemed slightly taken aback, blinking and then sputtering out a “It’s not like I haven’t seen them before in movies and stuff...they stop at the top to let you take pictures and look at the view.” 

 

“Oh sure, let’s sight _ Earth movies _ to inform our opinion of the probable malfunction of an alien space-wheel.” Lance rolled his eyes, still refusing to look directly at Keith. 

 

“Will you calm down?” Keith raised his voice, uncrossing his arms in exasperation. “It’s most likely nothing.” 

 

“ _ Attention riders,”  _ A monotonous foreign voice that could only be that of the attendant flowed through the gondola. Lance and Keith’s heads whipped up to the source of the voice that seemed to come from a loudspeaker-like system hanging from the ceiling. “ _ Please excuse the delay.  _ The Wheel  _ is experiencing technical difficulties and will resume into operation momentarily.”  _

 

“Oh,  _ great _ .” Lance groaned, sinking down. Why did he always have the worst luck? This was the worst possible thing that could have happened to him. The worst. 

 

“I guess you were right,  _ for once. _ ” Keith murmured. 

 

“Oh,  _ shut up _ , will you? God, Keith, you  _ have _ to make this so difficult, don’t you? We actually had  _ fun _ today, but you really had to go and ruin it by being--you! You are so incredibly irritating, I can’t stand being around you and it’s absolutely ex--” 

 

“Lance, I was joking! Jesus, relax.” Keith stopped him, leaning forward to look at Lance with a trivializing stare. “You do it to me all the time, I was  _ trying _ to be funny.” 

 

Lance’s face fell in surrender and cheeks began to heat, ashamed of his decision to snap at Keith. He looked so defeated. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“It’s okay.” Keith breathed, leaning back. “And I’m sorry to ruin this for you.” 

 

Lance glanced up, chest constricting in guilt. “No, Keith, it’s not your fault that the ride stopped. I-I didn’t mean to jump down your throat, I’m just...tired.” 

 

Yes, tired. He settled on tired because it was the easiest word to sum up the profligate concoction of emotions brewing his stomach right now. It was the same feeling that constantly left Lance resort to lashing out at Keith. It just seemed easiest to force distaste for the red paladin than admit to anything else. 

 

And then Keith’s face did that thing again, contorting into tight frustration and with a sudden release, he began to laugh. It mimicked his alacrity on the roller coaster, full of life and light as it crescendoed from a small giggle to a full laugh. The wall cracked further. The sound made Lance’s skull tingle, and the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but upturn, even in the absence of understanding. “What’s so funny?” 

 

Keith down at Lance and caught his breath. “Sorry, I just…” He chuckled again, wiping a palm against his eyes. “You got so mad.” 

 

Lance’s expression broke into an accidental grin, a warmth spreading in his once-astringed chest. And then he began to laugh too out of the shear unavoidable contagion of Keith’s own laughter. It was funny, now that he thought of it. There was no use for him to fly off the handle--he was acting like Keith. It wasn’t like they were gonna be stuck up here forever, and Keith certainly didn’t have anything to do with it. Besides, it was a nice night in space, the view was beautiful, and they didn’t have an agenda, for once. He should have been basking in the ability to not have to worry. This was his chance to let go, and as his laughs chorused in with Keith, he realized how funny it actually was. Of course he would get stuck at the top of a ferris wheel with his arch-nemesis, and of course he would make it into a bigger deal than it had to be, and of course he would take it out on Keith, because he hated Keith, and Lance was sooooo predictable.  

 

But then he looked at Keith, and saw the glint in his eyes and the way his shoulders shook and his head flew back when he laughed and he asked himself: Did he really hate him? 

 

Sure, his feelings about Keith were certainly intense, regardless of their origin. But did intense always mean hatred? What if what he felt wasn’t necessarily loathing? It was clear Lance liked  to overcompensate, and even if he neglected to admit it, there was a chance that his anger towards him was covering something else. But, what else? That was what was was unclear to Lance, and like he  _ did _ admit, it was easier to be angry than it was to be kind to Keith. Especially when so much of their relationship was Lance feeling inadequate compared to him, and so much of their history was the competition--even if it was all in Lance’s head. But there was a lot of things Lance couldn’t help but like about Keith, like his smile and his dry humor and his ambition. And as much as he felt awkward when they were alone, he had a great time with him that day, there was no debating that. When Keith let his guard down and just acted...normal, Lance loved it. That side of him was what made Lance question the nature of his feelings, and it was what made it tedious to drag out his dissonance with Keith. Because despite their typical interactions, they balanced each other out perfectly, and there was no denying their compatibility as teammates. They excelled as a duo, and the perpetual pairing of them together was no accident--they made a great team. No one worked as well together as they did. And as much as the other paladins joked about their relationship--they all knew this was what was at the core of it. Their congeniality, their dependency, and their undeniable connection. So Lance took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and decided in that moment; to let go. No more facade, no more compensation, no more restraint. He was going to feel, he was going to emote, and whatever he said and whatever he did, it would be instinctual and organic. Real. 

 

A sense of airiness flitted under Lance’s skin in that moment, releasing in waves of dull fervor as he looked at Keith in this new light: without any prerequisites of animosity or resentment based on the notion that it was necessary. Without any feelings of jealousy or pain based on any of their history. Without anything but pure, unobstructed emotion. 

 

And Lance realized as he looked at Keith in the dim, kaleidoscopic light that his authentic feelings for Keith that he was hiding for so long, was unadulterated infatuation. 

 

Keith’s gaze was acclivous to the sky, eyes cast to the flickering glimmer of the stars above. They reflected in the purple of his eyes, and Lance decided that he could die right now, looking into the starry eyes of Keith, and he’d be satisfied. 

 

“You ever wish you could count the stars?” Keith whispered, shocking Lance out of a stupor. He sat up abruptly, realizing he had been peering at Keith fondly with his chin in his hand. Keith’s voice simultaneously brought Keith back to earth as well as sent him skyrocketing into space. 

 

“What?” 

 

Keith drew his gaze from the stars above and to Lance, softening as they broached eye contact. “I don’t know.” 

 

“Yes you do.” 

 

Keith let out a half-chuckle, pushing his hair from his face in a delicate motion that made Lance’s heart flutter. “It just seems so unfathomable. The sheer amount of them.” 

 

Keith curled his legs into his chest, returning his focus to the brim of the dome that encased them. “Sometimes I wish I could put a definite number on it, if only to make it seem less...incomprehensible.” 

 

“Does it make you feel insignificant?” Lance asked, running his nails along the skin near his elbow. 

 

“Sometimes. There’s so much out there. We try to do everything we can to help but we’re so, so small. Negligible.” 

 

“We’re not. At least, you’re not.” Lance’s voice came out in a whisper, incapable of looking away from Keith and the way the multicolored lights of the ferris wheel danced on his skin. 

 

He turned to Lance, expression plain but eyes studying Lance’s face, unconvinced and dubious. There was something he was looking for there, and as his eyes narrowed it became clear he wasn’t going to find it. Still, Lance felt warm under his scrutiny. 

 

“Do you think we’ll ever make it home?” The extraneous words dripped off Lance’s tongue before he could stop them, anguish evident through his tone. 

 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure the ride will start up again in a few minutes, Lance.” 

 

Lance simpered, picking at the cushion of the seat below him. “I mean,  _ home _ home.” 

 

“Oh.” Keith said quietly. “Sometimes I forget that this isn’t our home.” 

 

“I don’t.” Lance declared. “Earth will always be my home.” 

 

“I’m guessing you really miss it.” Keith said, voice coming out ashamed. 

 

“I miss my family. I miss feeling safe all the time.” Lance gushed, rubbing flakes of upholstery in between his thumb and forefinger. 

 

“We’re much more fun when we’re not so on-edge. We all felt like totally different people today.” 

 

“Yeah.” Lance nodded. “You take that for granted; not worrying about whether you’re going to die that day or not.” 

 

“Yeah. I liked being able to relax.” Keith divulged.

 

“I like you when you’re relaxed.” Lance shot back. 

 

Keith’s head snapped up to look at Lance, both maintaining the stare this time. It was soft, and warm, and the wall cracked further. They concurrently realized that they had moved closer together, to the point where their pinky fingers on the seats could practically touched. Both began blushing. 

 

“You’re still wearing my jacket.”

 

“You’re still wearing my belt.” 

 

Lance removed his eyes from Keith’s to look at their pinkies, barely touching. In the heat of the moment, he inched his further in, settling to rest on top of Keith’s. 

He looked up to find Keith’s face inches away from his, breath hot on Lance’s cheek. His eyes casted down to Keith’s lips as he licked them. Lance wanted nothing more than to kiss him to feel how that mouth would feel against his, blood flowing, toes curling, teeth and tongue and lips involved, inhibitions fully released. 

 

So he did. 

 

It started out as the faint whisper of a kiss, Lance’s lips tentatively pressed against Keith’s as if afraid of Keith crumbling against him. His breath caught in his throat and silence hung in the air, Keith remaining unresponsive against Lance. So he pulled back, the faint feeling of hot, wet lips resonating on Lance’s mouth. He could only be resentful for a second before Keith reached up with a shaky hand to curl his fingers around Lance’s neck, dragging him in for another osculation. Lance let his eyes flutter closed as fireworks popped in his chest and static blinked through his mind, arms reaching out to pull Keith into him. Their lips slotted together in unanimity and Lance felt Keith let out a puff of air, bringing his other hand up to cup Lance’s sharp jaw. But it could only stay subdued for so long before it was deepened, Keith swiping his tongue along Lance’s lower lip as their teeth clicked. The world fell away into pieces, and Lance’s head was swimming with dread and compassion and excitement that could only be expressed in the soft whimper that escaped from his mouth as Keith pressed into Lance further. It was the kind of kiss that knocked away the air from your lungs and the coherence from your thoughts. It was the fire of Keith mixing with the ice of Lance into a tornado of obliteration and ecstasy that would be missed when they parted, out of breath and full of shock and wonder. 

 

Lance felt dizzy, so he rested his head on Keith’s shoulder and they sat there, holding each other and struggling to function. Keith’s thumb began to circle on Lance’s shoulder, sending blunt shivers up his spine.  

 

“I wanted you to do that for awhile.” Keith finally said, voice hushed and longing. 

 

Lance peeked up at him, face burning. “Why didn’t  _ you _ ?” 

 

“I didn’t know if you wanted that.” Keith shrugged. “I guess I was waiting for the universe to give us a sign.” 

 

“The  _ universe _ waits for no one,” Lance said cheekily. “Why wait for it?” 

 

“Because I’m scared.” 

 

“Ah.” Lance nodded. “Fear is a powerful thing.” 

 

“You sound like Shiro.” Keith’s nose scrunched up. 

 

“It’s true though.” Lance teased, poking at Keith’s side.

 

Keith flashed a smile that soon faded into shame broaching exhaustion. “I’m afraid to trust people. I push them away before they reject me. That’s who I am.” 

 

“I realized.” Lance chuckled. 

 

“Well, what about you?” Keith pushed. “Why did you wait so long to do that?” 

 

Lance stopped and thought before opening his mouth. His knee-jerk response was that he just realized that he wanted to, but he knew that wasn’t true. Of course he had wanted to kiss Keith for awhile. Maybe even from when he first saw him at the Garrison. There was always something inside him that poked at him and knew, but this was the first time he felt himself let go and accept it. “I’m scared too.” 

 

Keith’s stroking ceased and Lance lifted his head to explain. “I’ve gotten so used to being jealous of you and forcing our rivalry that it’s scary to think of anything else...It’s easier to just hate you I guess. I’m afraid of change. Of accepting my feelings for you…” 

 

The last part had Lance’s ears smoldering and he hung his head in shame, forcing the words out of his mouth despite how uncomfortable they felt. They were more awkward left unsaid, hanging on the edge of his tongue, he decided. 

 

Keith brought his head to rest on top of Lance’s then, in an out of character motion that made Lance practically gasp in contentment. They melted into each other as Keith continued his soft touches, ghosting his fingertips over Lance’s arm. Lance was now hyper-aware of every inadvertent flinch and twitch of his body, and also how cold he was. He snuggled closer to Keith’s warm figure and inhaled the scent of burning firewood that radiated off of his cool skin. Lance opted to keep his eyes closed and sink into the moment and into the feeling of Keith’s quick heart that undoubtedly beat for Lance. 

 

But before Keith could ever reply, the ride creaked, and after a whirring sound, it started again. Lance could practically feel the air escape from Keith in exacerbation. Keith inched away from Lance then, and the moment seemed to be over just as quick as it started. Lance practically whimpered at the loss of contact and outstretched arms in search of Keith’s warmth. But his eyes opened to find Keith on the other side of the gondola, facing away to look at the stars again. 

 

And Lance realized it was over. 

 

As much as he wanted it to, it was never going to work out between them. There were too many factors that came into play and ruined their chances, and it was clear that Keith didn’t want this. It  _ was _ Keith after all, and he didn’t want to be close to anyone. He was probably embarrassed, and would rather not be seen with Lance. Typical. 

 

Lance sunk back, crossing his arms in front of his chest and felt his lip pop out into a pout as the ride swung them closer to the ground. His eyes shrouded Keith’s figure, sitting still in waiting with his head tilted to the sky and Lance cursed himself for being so enamored with him. He worried his lip and pondered the mystery that was Keith Kogane, wondering exactly what was churning inside his head. 

 

The wheel came into dock but neither boy moved, both stilled in the thoughts and silence that wafted through the air like thick smoke. The ride moved again, and they heard the rest of the group get out of their gondolas and pace over to them, confusion clear in their expressions. 

 

“Uh,” Pidge spoke warily. “Are you guys gonna get out?” 

 

Lance jerked into life. “Yeah, sorry.” 

 

He let out a struggled breath, crawling forward to follow Keith out the open gate. But Keith remained inert, stationary in an asphyxia of paralyzation. Lance raised an eyebrow, seconds away from pushing him out before Keith turned around and looked at Lance. 

 

The stars lingered in his eyes, and they said everything Keith couldn’t. 

 

In a brisk motion, Keith grabbed the sides of Lance’s face and pulled him in, kissing him like he deserved to be kissed. Lance abated, bringing his own hands up to cover Keith’s. In that moment, he felt Keith’s wall crumble into paltry pieces of rubble that were no longer impervious to adulation. Keith pulled back first and looked at Lance with a dazed smile. If you blinked, you would have missed it.

 

Keith climbed out of the gondola and turned away from the aghast faces of the others, extending his hand to Lance. Lance grabbed it with a grin, feeling callosues and lines and all the imperfections that made up Keith’s palms, and was comforted by them. It made them perfect. He was pulled out, but they never separated, silently agreeing to keep their fingers interlocked as they faced the group. 

 

“So…” Shiro started after a beat of laconism, forehead still creased in perplexity. “I guess things are going to be different now?” 

 

“I guess they are.” Keith susurrated, turning to Lance. 

 

Lance looked back, and simultaneously let the rest of his hindrances go. “And that’s okay.”

 

“It is.” 

 

Lance squeezed Keith’s hand and Keith squeezed back, and all the things left unsaid were immediately understood. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> haha xd leave some kudos


End file.
